I'd describe this duo as one of those that give you an AWWWW! feeling and that feeling stays with you long after you put the book down. Both stories are about second chances.

The Way to A Gentleman's Heart by Theresa Romain stars Marianne, a lady of society-turned cook, and James, a man with plenty to regret but willing to make amends and hoping for forgiveness. I always find this author’s stories kind of hard to understand in the sense that I don’t connect with the characters right away. At first I thought James had hurt Marianne too much and grueling for the rest of his life wouldn’t be enough to deserve forgiveness, however once Marianne’s musing put their relationship in a different light and she realized he was a worthy man I too realized just as much.

Counterfeit Scandal by Shana Galen intertwines characters from No Earls Allowed, book 2 in her The Survivors series but you don’t need to read that book first in order to read this one. Bridget and Caleb were forced to part ways at a moment when Bridget needed him the most. Fast forward several years later and Caleb seems to be the only one to help her find what she once lost but loves the most. I liked this story a lot. The author was able to pack plenty of character development, emotions, action, and redemption in only a few pages. The fact that Caleb was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for Bridget was kind of the cherry on top.

I think this set perfectly represents what each author is about so if anyone's thought about trying something by either one I encourage you to give these novellas a go.

I received this book at no cost to me and I volunteered to read it; this is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.

Darcy has a painful past. She thinks she failed her sister and now she’s trying to make it up by making sure her sister’s daughter, Lulu is living a happy and safe life. The only problem is that Lulu’s guardian, uptight, ultra-organized, ex-SAS, Capt. Matt Peterson won’t allow her to even visit her. Now Darcy needs to find a way to convince him that being a tattooed ex-con is not as bad as it seems.

I loved Darcy’s kick-a$$ character! I think the author did an excellent job of portraying the true nature of her character. She was tough and protective yet showed glimpses of vulnerability at exactly the right moments. Even when she was unsure or feeling susceptible, she still went ahead and made the tough decisions. Matt on the other hand cracked me up half of the time. He was supposed to be this stiff, uptight, almost super-soldier but when it came to Lulu and Darcy… well, let’s just say he became someone else entirely different but not in a bad way. He and Darcy formed some kind of bond, that as much as they tried to deny it existed, or not give it a name, worked excellent for me because it was that openness and honest attitude from both of them that made their nameless relationship work; as long as their meddlesome friends were not trying to dictate their lives. Argh! That really annoyed me, though! Darcy and Matt’s friends were always telling them how bad they were for each other and how much damage each would cause to the other. I mean, seriously, consenting adults? At least in the end, friends served their purpose and proved that without them life would not only be boring but also so much harder and lonely.

It’s not very often I connect this well with characters but this book was something else. Even Lulu was a delight to read. Those that have dealt with little kids will immediately understand and chuckle at what the characters had to go through with little Lulu. It’s not very often I give 5 stars to books either but I think this one warrants it. There simply was nothing I didn’t like; if anything I could re-read this book just for the sheer pleasure of reading it again.

** I received this book at no cost to me and I volunteered to read it; this is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.***(less)

Action-packed, romance-filled, and riveting to say the least; this story will grab you from page one!

CIA agent Skye fakes her own death to protect her partner and lover Colt Stuart and all those he holds dear. She’s never stopped loving him and knows she hurt him deep but she’s also sure what she did was for the best. When a dear friend of Colt is kidnapped she sees her rescuing as an opportunity to somewhat make it up to him, and although he might never know it was she who rescue his friend, she still goes for it. What she didn’t account for was that Colt would find out she didn’t die and once he did he wouldn’t let her go ever again. Not only that but he would go to extremes to protect her and never have to lose her again.

OMG! This story! To me it had one of the best opening convos ever! It was funny while setting the pace for what was coming. Sky was one of the most assertive, self-confident, witty, and cool heroines I’ve ever read. Kudos to the author for giving me such an awesome character. Colt is your typical self-assured and overprotective alpha CIA agent that will do anything to protect those he loves (and I mean AN-NY-THING), however what’s great about his relationship with Skye is that he sure as hell knows Skye’s boundaries and as the gracious and romantic lover he is, he also knows how to make her feel safe and cared for.

The dynamics between the friends was heartwarming and was pulling my heart strings at every corner. As a reader I could feel how much they really cared for each other. Once the “mission” is officially over we are immediately introduced to the next one and luckily we don’t have to wait too long as the second installment will be out within the next few months. This story was the perfect introduction to the series and if it’s any indication of what the whole series will be then we sure are in for a heck of a ride.

I received this book from the author at no cost to me and I volunteered to read it; this is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.

It was a well written story with enough plot twists to keep me turning the pages however I think I would have enjoyed it more if so many details of the characters would not have been told even before the story started. By the time I got to read about a certain character I already knew who it was and the part he or she was playing in the plot. The romance of the story was well depicted though. Rafe and Trish were a sweet couple and I liked that Trish never relented her trust to anyone, not even Rafe, at least not at the beginning, which showed that although confused she was still smart enough to make practical decisions. I liked the story enough to go back to this world and read the rest of the series. 3 stars. - Some graphic violence but no graphic sexual scenes.

I volunteered to read this book; this is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.

"No suspect gets his reputation ruined by having his name splashed in the headlines unless Hoover has the goods on him. There are no raids on the private or political files. Hoover is tough, but respects the rules—especially fundamental liberties." Pearson concluded, "The nation is lucky to have him on the job."

This book covers the little known story of how one German born American, William Sebold, partnered with the FBI to take down German spy rings in New York City. Sebold when he went back to Germany to recuperate from an illness found himself being recruited by the Germans to spy on America. Sebold, who had become an American citizen, took his oath of allegiance to America seriously and got in contact with American authorities and found himself becoming a double agent.

It took me a little while to really get into this book (about around 35% of the way through is when I really started to get into it). I think that is because this book not only covers Sebold and his takedown of German spies but also does cover some history of WWII. I probably would have been more interested in the unrelated to the Sebold case history of WWII if I hadn't already known most of it. I was really interested in learning about all of the people relevant to the operation and their histories before and after the events that took place. The book does tend to mention the Norden bombsight a lot, and while it was important to the Sebold operation the parts mentioning it (especially after the trials of the German spies took place) could be a bit long and hard to keep interested in.

It is really a shame that what Sebold did for America is not well known and it is also a shame where Sebold ended up before he died. For a man that was an integral part in the first big counterespionage operation of the FBI you would think that more could have been done to help him. He seemed to be in such a fragile mental state towards the end of his life which is quite understandable with all that he had been through.

I would definitely recommend this book if you are interested in learning about a little known man who contributed a lot to the takedown of German spy rings right before WWII. I am also interested in learning more about WWII and I am glad that I got the chance to read about William Sebold. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the galley.

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